Ross Fiorello has resigned as East boys basketball coach after nine seasons.

Fiorello compiled a 116-87 record at East and said he is leaving on “great terms” with the administrators and players. He said he does not rule out coaching in the future, and cited living and teaching in Canton and having to commute to coach in Akron as a reason.

COLUMBUS: St. Vincent-St. Mary senior Nick Wells and his Fighting Irish teammates are one win away from cutting down the nets they really want, the nets from Columbus.

Wells, freshman VJ King and junior Jalen Hudson each scored in double figures Thursday to guide St. V-M to a 70-51 victory over Vincent Warren in a Division II state semifinal boys basketball game before a crowd of 10,561 at Value City Arena in Schottenstein Center.

Ashley Morrissette’s greatest gift is her ability to make her teammates better. Since she plays for arguably the best team in Ohio, it follows in logical progression she would be an easy pick as the 26th winner of the Associated Press Ms. Basketball award, emblematic of the top player in the state. “I would say that I’m an all-around player,” she says when asked to describe her game. “I can shoot if you leave me open, I can take it to the hole. I play really good defense and I’m also a distributor for my teammates. I like to make other players around me better.” Since her team, Twinsburg, has won the last two Division I state championships and enters this weekend’s big-school state tournament at Value City Arena with a spotless 28-0 record and the AP’s No. 1 ranking in the regular season, she must be pretty good at what she does. Her coach, Julie Solis, also said that she lifts the level of the rest of the Tigers. But she said Morrissette is much, much more than just someone who pads her stats on a great team. “She’s the kid who hits big-time shots. She wants the ball in her hands,” she said. “But when it’s not necessary, she’s definitely making everybody around her better. Her passing, her vision — she’s got a lot of strengths.” A 5-foot-9 senior, Morrissette averaged 19.1 points, 6.5 assists, 5 rebounds and 5 steals while shooting 50 percent from the field and 82 percent at the line. Twinsburg plays Lewis Center Olentangy Orange in a state semifinal at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Ohio State’s Value City Arena. Few players ever get to step into the bright lights of a state tournament game. Morrissette, a Purdue recruit, appreciates that she’s been surrounded by players and coaches who have helped her spend many glowing moments of her career there. “Winning the first one really motivated me to keep winning,” she said. “I just didn’t want to win the first one and then fall off. I wanted to continue on with that habit of winning.” Of course, that draws the attention of everyone, from college scouts to other coaches and players. “I really think that winning the second one and then to try and come and win the third one has really just been way harder than winning that first one,” she said. “Because now people know and they scout and they’re looking for your tendencies. It gets harder every game. They change up their defenses a lot and you just have to work around it.” Morrissette had 22 points and eight rebounds in last year’s state championship win over Kettering Fairmont. “I feel that I’ve been very lucky to even participate in one state championship,” she said. “To say that I’ve participated in three state tournaments, I just feel that all the hard work and all the hard summers have paid off.” Morrissette was selected by a media panel from around the state. Others considered included Columbus Northland’s Alexis Peterson, Amanda Cahill of Clyde, Solon’s Kristen Confroy and Karli Bonar of Shadyside.

Junior Michael Coleman and senior Danny Tiley are Hudson’s lone two state qualifiers, and both won opening round Division I matches 7-2 in their first state appearance Thursday at Value City Arena at Schottenstein Center in front of 11,084 fans.

“I am excited for both of them,” Hudson coach Joe Caniglia said. “They both worked very hard to get to this point and took advantage of the opportunities that they had. They were a little nervous about their first round matches with it being there first time down here, but they settled in and won.”

Highland senior Adam Kluk earned a 10-5 victory over Cuyahoga Falls senior Joey Repasky in a local-versus-local opening round match at 195 pounds in the Division I state wrestling tournament Thursday at Value City Arena at Schottenstein Center in front of 11,084 fans.

“I know that he is a tough kid and that state is like starting a whole new season,” Kluk said. “I just had to go out there and believe in myself and get a win.”

Delta held the lead in the Division III team standings following Day One of the state wrestling tournament with 16.5 points Thursday at Value City Arena at Schottenstein Center in front of 11,084 fans.

Waynedale, the Division III state champion last year, is fourth at 12.5 points.